Using the strongest password imaginable has one major downside: it’s hard to remember. Imagine recalling 10 passwords every time you surf the Web. Although you may think this is a necessary evil, what with all the data breaches, botnet attacks, and ransomware threats we’ve been having lately, managing passwords shouldn’t be a struggle. Why not use a powerful password manager?
With the software, you don’t need to remember complex passwords to keep all your online accounts secure. You simply need to remember one “master” password (to the password manager itself) and it’ll take care of the rest. Not all password managers are created the same, though.
Eager to know what are the best free password managers at your disposal? We’ve tried a few of the popular ones and here are those that have impressed us most:
KeePass
It may be the oldest of the password managers on this list yet it remains as one of the most powerful. In fact, this long-running, open-source project has had several spinoffs, dozens of ports to other platforms, and a seemingly limitless customization options. You can even store the software on a USB thumb drive and carry it everywhere with you.
Unfortunately, KeePass isn’t for everyone. It’s hard to use so non-techies may have to figure their way around the interface. It probably is best for the tech-savvy users out there.
LastPass
It’s free, popular, and may be the most reliable password manager we’ve seen in a long while. LastPass, no doubt, is among the best in its category. It’s easy to use, widely supported across all major platforms, and rich in features. Not too shabby for a password manager you can use free of charge. The best part about it? You can use LastPass without installing any application on your local drive.
It offers more than just storage for your password, too. It has a nifty password generator that creates strong passwords for you, for one. Another cool feature is that it audits your stored passwords and notifies you when it’s time to change old or duplicate ones.
True Key
We’ve never seen password managers as secure and futuristic as Intel’s True Key. To log into our account, we simply had to look into our smartphone or notebook’s camera and shake our head. How cool is that?! We’re mighty impressed that it offers six different factors of authentication, too. Included among the factors are facial and fingerprint recognition. It’s easy to see why some have said that this password manager is showing us the glimpse of the future of online security.
Although True Key handles the basic functions of a good password manager, it lacks many features offered by most competitors. We wish it had some form of secure password sharing or that it could fill our credentials on Web forms.
Dashlane
A slick design and user-friendly interface aren’t the only weapons in Dashlane’s arsenal. Many consider it the closest rival of the widely acclaimed LastPass service. What sets it apart from the competition is that it can reset all your passwords at once. This feature comes real handy in case your accounts get involved in a major data breach like that of Yahoo.
On the downside, Dashlane’s disappoints with its read-only web interface. In most cases, we can’t make any changes to our password vault if we’re away from our primary PC.
Sticky Password
Never mind its outdated, full-color interface, Sticky Password is as good as the password managers we’ve featured so far. It’s packed with features like cloud or local syncing, desktop login management, and a true two-factor authentication. The best part? The price for its lifetime premium subscription is definitely within easy reach. Did we mention that it allows biometric confirmation e.g. authenticating your identity using fingerprints scan on your mobile device?
The only thing we have against Sticky Password is that they don’t have support for Apple users. It sure is a curious omission if you ask us.
LogMeOnce
Don’t be fooled by the “premium” in its name because you can use LogMeOnce Password Management Suite Premium for free. It works on MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and even Linux. It even offers USB-based and selfie-based authentication in case you forget the “master password”. Its anti-theft system is a lifesaver, too! This feature helps locate lost devices and remotely wipe their data clean or log out your accounts. And to top it all off, LogMeOnce delivers actionable password strength report so you know which ones need immediate revision.
Less-technical users may be overwhelmed by all these innovative features. That may be the only kink we see in LogMeOnce’s formidable, feature-rich armor.
Been recycling the same generic password for virtually every online account you’ve ever had the past five years? If so, there may be no better time for a serious upgrade than now. Consider using a password manager as a new year’s resolution or your priceless online accounts could be sitting ducks.
On the topic of online security, we recommend you read about protecting your mobile devices from security risks or learning the importance of using ad blockers.